The World Spins Madly On
by sheepfairy
Summary: Kira tries to make her way in the Resistance. KiraLupaza.


**Title:** The World Spins Madly On

**Pairing:** Kira/Lupaza

**Word Count: **1150

**Summary: **Kira grows up in the resistance, and she takes her comfort where she can.

**A/N: **This was written for a femslashtoday livejournal contest.

1.

Nerys is only thirteen when she joins the resistance. She's far too young to be a soldier, but Lupaza takes a shining to her immediately, and the resistance is too desperate for new bodies for Shakaar to say no. She's barely big enough to hold the gun, but on her first mission she manages to shoot it straight enough, and from then on out she's a much-valued member of the Bajoran militia.

A few days later, Lupaza hands Nerys a handmade earring and tells her that she's proud. Nerys is proud of herself, too, for the first time in her life.

2.

It's not an easy life, being a resistance fighter. A lot of Bajoran kids join, but end up deserting once they understand how difficult it is. It is one thing to talk about rising up against the oppressors, and it's quite another to live for years exposed to the ravages of nature, starvation and constantly fighting on despite it all. It's quite another thing to actually have to kill for your beliefs.

But Kira Nerys did not have an easy life growing up, and so she manages to do well despite the deprivation. Despite the passing years, Lupaza and Furel never do stop calling her 'kid,' even though they're both only a few years older than she is.

The members of the resistance cell do, however, begin to treat her with more respect. They bring her along on more and more dangerous missions, and even begin to let her lead some of them.

When Shakaar finally sees fit to send her out on her own to kill a high-level collaborator, she thanks him profusely for trusting her with such an important assignment.

"This isn't something you should thank him for, Nerys," says Lupaza, worried, and Nerys is hurt that Lupaza seems to have so little faith in her ability to get the job done.

It isn't until a decade has passed that Nerys realizes that Lupaza wasn't worried about her abilities; she was worried about the state of her soul.

3.

By the time the Cardassians are well into their bombing campaign on Dahkur, the cave is the only home that they have. It isn't really much of anything - they've divided it into rudimentary rooms, and Lupaza has made some art from old scrap metal to hang on the walls, but mostly it's spartan and unpleasant. But it isn't the things that make a home, Nerys reminds herself from time to time, it's the people, and over the years Shakaar's resistance cell has become like a family to her.

Still, it's a cave, and it's not very good for having sex in. It's cold, for one, and even with the blanket they've thrown over the ground, she can feel pebbles digging into her back. Her body is going to hurt tomorrow, but right now all of the discomfort is secondary to the little shocks and thrills arcing through her as Lupaza pulls her fingers in and out, massaging the inside of Nerys until she wants to scream.

Lupaza has a lot of experience at this, or at least a lot more than Nerys does, and she knows all the little sensitive places on a woman's body. When she comes, Nerys does scream, loudly.

"Keep it down in there," yells Shakaar from the other side of their makeshift wall, while Furel laughs. If Nerys were more aware of her surroundings, she'd probably be embarrassed. But the rush of endorphins to her head hasn't subsided yet, and so she just giggles like it's the funniest thing she's ever heard.

"Are you done?" asks Lupaza after a minute, when Nerys has calmed down slightly.

"Yeah," answers Nerys, still a little out of breath.

"Good," says Lupaza. "Then it's my turn."

4.

Most armies and militias throughout the universe train their officers extensively before they let them lead others into combat. The Bajoran militia, on the other hand, is a little looser in its standards thanks to fact that the planet has just been through a devastating occupation. They're willing to accept anybody who's done so much as a hold a gun in their lives.

"So," says Lupaza, sitting down next to her. "Furel tells me that you're going to be joining up with the militia."

"Yeah," says Kira, smiling. "Can you believe they're letting me be a Major? You should join, too. With your experience, they'll probably make you a general."

Lupaza laughs at that. "Oh, no, I doubt it. In the end, I think you surpassed the rest of us. Shakaar is always telling me that standing up for you was the best decision I've ever made."

The praise is a little too much, coming from Lupaza, and Nerys avoids responding to it. "Are you sure you don't want to join the militia?" she asks, aware that she is repeating herself.

"No," says Lupaza, and she sighs and stirs the tea she'd brought from the café down the street. The Bajorans have all sorts of tea that they hadn't had before, now that the Cardassian embargos have been lifted. Things aren't as good as they were before the occupation, but they're getting better everyday.

"I'm... I'm tired of all this fighting, Nerys, and after all, we've won. The Cardassians have left."

"They could come back," Nerys says, but Lupaza does not look convinced.

"That's not very likely, and you know it. And if they do, I'll join the resistance again. The Bajoran militia doesn't need us. Our communities need us. We're going to help with the rebuilding, outside of the military," replies Lupaza, as she leans in closer. "We're proud of you, though. Shakaar, Furel and I… all of us. We're proud of what you're doing, even if we aren't going to follow you."

Nerys nods, and smiles, and tries not to let her disappointment show. She'd hoped that more of her friends would join the militia, and that they could have stayed together as a group. She'd had hopes for Lupaza, especially.

"I'm glad the Cardassians are gone," says Nerys, "I'm so glad they're gone, and that the fighting is over. But, at the same time, I'm going to miss you. You, and everybody else."

"Oh, Nerys," says Lupaza, as she leans in closer and hugs Nerys. "It's not like we're dead. We'll keep in touch, and we'll see each other whenever we have the chance. It'll be fine."

"Yes," replied Nerys, "I'm sure it will be."

She doesn't really believe it, though, and judging by the sad look in Lupaza's eyes, neither does she.

5.

And as it turns out, Nerys is right. The next time she sees Lupaza, it will be six years later on a farm in Dahkur, and they will both have moved on with their lives.


End file.
